Facebook is really interested in e-commerce, and it’s approaching the market from a number of different angles in order to find out what works. The company’s most recent foray into e-commerce is Local Market, a new feature that it’s testing that functions in much the same way Craigslist does. From what we can tell, it’s basically just a way for buyers and sellers to connect with each other, assuming they live close by.
Facebook has already become “like Craigslist” for people in Indonesia, according to product chief Chris Cox, and it appears that the social network is experimenting with ways to broaden its e-commerce ambitions. The company is testing a feature called “Local Market,” based on screenshots sent to Adweek that illustrate a new way for people to buy and sell things on the site. Earlier this year, Facebook launched For Sale Groups that let users list prices and pick-up locations for products they wanted to sell. Local Market looks like a new way to search for all different categories of goods nearby without staying within specific groups. The Local Markets section evidently has categories like Household, Sporting, Toys, and Books, and if users see a product they’re interested in, they can click “message to buy” to contact the seller. Business Insider reached out to Facebook for comment and more information. The move aligns with Facebook’s e-commerce strategy so far. The company recently announced that it’s expanding its “Shop” section to curate items that businesses are selling from their Pages.
